THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PURCHASING THROUGH THESE LINKS HELPS SUPPORT MAMMA BEAR SAYS AT NO ADDITIONAL COST TO YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT ALWAYS.
We own a miter saw! Actually, at this point, we have a mini-workshop in our garage and a list full of projects to make.
Like many others during this pandemic, my husband and I have taken up some new hobbies. We are now wood-working, gardening, homeschooling, crafting, home renovating parents of four! Plus all the other little things we do!
One of the first pieces of equipment on our list for wood-working projects was the miter saw. We did a ton of research and landed on the DeWalt 12 inch miter saw. As newbie woodworkers the miter saw was perfect to get some experience under our belts.
So what did we find? Why do we love it? And why is the miter saw perfect for beginners?
We went with a DeWALT 12inch sliding compound miter saw. This will cover most cross cuts (cuts against the grain) for any beginner because common lumber/boards come in max 12” width.
If you want to get the most bang for your buck, I suggest going for the sliding option, a 10” sliding compound miter will be cheaper and will allow you to still cut 12” boards. A compound miter simply means the blade can swivel to make beveled cuts. Most miter saws sold today are compound miter saws.
1.Usefulness
Most beginner projects can be built with a miter saw only. This makes it the perfect tool to get your feet or get your shirt dusty. All projects will require you to cut a board to length and the miter will allow you to make repeated crosscuts fast and easy. As well as miter cuts or angel cuts ranging from 0 to 45 degrees.
With four kids to care for our time working on projects can be slim. We needed a saw that would allow us the ease of making fast cuts.
2.Price of a Miter Saw
A miter saw is inexpensive compared to other tools in a well-equipped workshop. A $100,000 workshop is not too uncommon for some people. However, being beginners the idea of investing that much was just NOT AN OPTION.
A way to save money is to choose a 10-inch saw vs a 12-inch saw. The price of the 10-inch blades is much cheaper than the 12-inch counterparts.
3.Miter Saw learning curve
The miter saw is very easy to use and comes with a blade guard that retracts when coming down on a cut. Simply squeeze the multi-button trigger, let it spin up, hold the material in place, and bring the handle down to make a cut.
*A quick tip: never use a miter saw without the blade guard attached. Safety first
4.Builds Confidence
It can take time to gain confidence in trying new things. When you handle bladed power tools spinning at 3,800 revolutions per minute woodworking can be intimidating for anybody especially if you never used them before. Myself being one of those never have used them before.
Most of the time I would simply ask my husband for help with just about anything requiring a power tool. With the miter saw you can quickly build that confidence and comfortability as soon as you make your first cut.
I think the measuring, learning to follow plans, and assembling takes more getting used to than making the simple cuts for a project.
5.Great for the DIYer
The pandemic has turned many of us into DIY fanatics. Since being asked to stay home my house has transformed. We have taken part in DIY projects from building raised flower beds for our garden, a desk for our distance learning 5th grader, fireplace mantel, DIY crafts, and so much more.
Our project list is never-ending but it always makes us feel so happy to see a finished project. Stay tuned for many more beginner woodworking tips and projects!
Great post for beginners guides thanks.
Perfect guide and I agree a miter saw is one of the most useful piece of equipment for every workshop out there. However, I was wondering if we can yse a circular saw as a miter saw… İs that possible?